Thanks for the update, the 40 shield would be a nice backpacking pistol in black bear country.
I think another platform would be more suitable for that use. I love the compactness of my 40 sheild , I had a Apex trigger put in and it is a huge improvement but I still like the trigger on my Glock 23 much better. I carry a GP 100 with a 4" barrel in my daypack .
